The first official organization meeting of the Petosega Chapter of the DAR was held at Mrs. Ramsdell’s house and chaired by the State Regent, Mrs. James Brayton. There were fifteen official members and five whose papers were waiting to be approved in Washington DC. They served a cake decorated with the letters DAR and in the national colors (red, white, and blue). Mrs. Brayton cut the first piece. Flags adorned the home inside and out. In the evening, they held a reception in honor of Mrs. Brayton at the Presbyterian church, which was decorated with large and small portraits of George Washington, flags, ferns, carnations, and roses. Mrs. Brayton gave the history of the DAR and said there were currently 70,000 members nationwide, with 35 chapters in Michigan comprised of 1,930 members.. She was presented with a bouquet of American Beauty roses. McCullom’s orchestra played patriotic songs throughout the evening. After the talk, Mrs. Kephart served a delicious fruit punch. This meeting happened in April 1910 just before the national convention, which was contentious. One group of women disagreed with the president general and was said to plan an insurgency.

 

At the regular chapter meeting in May 1910 the women discussed raising money for a monument to General Isaac Toll, and also talked about getting a monument for Ignatius Petoskey.

 

General Isaac DeGraff Toll was a New York native, a veteran military officer of the Mexican-American War, a Michigan state legislator, and a prominent early leader in Petoskey, Michigan, who served as village president and postmaster before his death in 1908. He was going to create a veterans’ memorial, but then donated the land to build Lockwood Hospital instead. He was said to be a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. As far as I can tell, they never created a memorial for him.

 

Marguerite Reusch (1870-1943) was the first regent and organizer of Pe-to-se-ga DAR chapter. She was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she was a member of the Mary Penrose Wayne chapter of the DAR, but came to Petoskey shortly after her marriage to Frederick Reusch in 1900. She spent the rest of her life in Petoskey participating in social causes and women’s organizations.

Marguerite’s interest in genealogy led to her involvement in the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.). Her patriots were John Roberts Sr., John Roberts, Jr., and John Somers of Somers Point, NJ. She helped members research their family history. Throughout her life, she remained a leader in the local chapter and beyond. Her obituary states that she was widely known as a genealogist not only serving the local chapter, but she also “aided many other chapters” in this research work.

An exceptionally talented artist, Marguerite often taught art lessons at the Petoskey schools or privately to interested persons.  Some of her work remains at the family business, Reusch Jewelers in Petoskey.

For many years, Marguerite was a leader in the Red Cross, and was especially active during World War I.   As well, she was a member the First Presbyterian Church in Petoskey and active in many women’s associations including the Emmet County Suffrage Association.

Marguerite lived at 430 State Street in Petoskey, which is now a playground.

 

Mrs. Martha Ramsdell (1867-1930) first vice-regent, was born in Castleton, Vermont and came to Petoskey with her parents as a young girl. She was married to Dr. Ramsdell in 1894. In addition to being a charter member of the DAR, she was a member of the Presbyterian church and its many societies and a member of the Art Study Club.

 

 Sally Lankford Shields was born in 1865 and came to Petoskey after her marriage to John Shields, who worked at Petoskey Housefurnishing. They lived on Williams Street. She was the first secretary of the Petosega Chapter of the DAR.

 

Hattie Rose Lawton was born in Plainwell in 1867 and came to Petoskey with her parents in 1876. Her father was editor and publisher of the Emmet County Democrat. She married Bradley Lawton in 1890, the first wedding at the Methodist Church. She was a teacher in the public schools and a Sunday School teacher at the Methodist Church. She was a charter member of the Pe-to-se-ga chapter and its first recording secretary. She died in 1962.

 

Ella Tyler Rose was born in 1860 and came to Petoskey with her parents in 1880. Her husband Eugene was the postmaster. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. She died in 1921 after a long illness. Ella was the treasurer of the DAR and she lived at 505 State Street.

 

Miss Margaret Bontecou came to Petoskey in 1883 when her father took over the newspaper, The Petoskey Record. After his death, she became the editor of the paper. She served as the Petosega chapter’s first historian. She lived at 524 State Street.

 

Mrs. Cora Kephart was the wife of Walter Kephart, who ran the pharmacy. She played the piano and was a member of the Shakespeare Class. The Kepharts lived at 615 Bay Street and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1920. Cora was the registrar of the chapter when it first began.

 

Fanny Quaintance, the chaplain of the Petosega chapter, was born in 1862 and died in 1948. She doesn’t have an obituary, and the only mention of her I could find in the paper was that she was trying to hire a girl for her dining room. Her husband worked for the railroad as a telegrapher and later a manager. The Quaintances lived at 105 Division Street.

 

Mary Wooding was born in New York City on February 17, 1846. Her family moved to Michigan when she was 12 because her father wanted to become a farmer. However, she was sent back to NYC for her education. She met and married William L. Curtis in the Kalamazoo area. They came to Petoskey on the first train from Grand Rapids, and then moved here in 1882. She was involved in the Presbyterian Church, the Library Board, the Curtis Park Club, the DAR, and several committees of the Women’s Federated Clubs. She donated the fountain for Mineral Well Park. 

 

She also donated the clock and bell for the new Emmet County Courthouse that was being built in Petoskey. The county seat was moving from Harbor Springs. Mrs. Curtis worked with Mr. W. H. Seibert, the jeweler, to find a manufacturer for the clock and bell. She purchased it with the intent of placing in the tower of the new courthouse building. In 1916, she donated an additional $800 to have the clock wired so that it could be lit at night. 

 

Minnie Shippey Klise was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1856.  Her great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and her grandfather fought in the war with Mexico. Her parents were teachers and originally from upper New York State. Minnie followed in their footsteps becoming a teacher and taught for ten years.  During that time, Minnie married a young lumberman, Albert B. Klise.  The couple lived in Sullivan, Michigan for several years and then moved to Petoskey.

  Shortly after moving to Petoskey, Minnie’s husband established A.B. Klise Lumber Company. The former location of the Lumber company is the area off Emmet Street at Sheridan and the G.R. & I. railroad where the tracks remain today. At the time of the organization of the company, Minnie became secretary. Her duties in this position included managing the finances.  Her obituary states she was an “expert accountant” and she “regularly audited and checked all the books.” As busy as Minnie was with her responsibilities at the lumber company, she still found time to participate in civic interests. Minnie was an officer in the Federation of Women’s Clubs, member of the Art Club, the Women’s Club, and served two years as a regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) and was a member of the Pe-to-Se-Ga Chapter. She was a member of the Beulah Chapter, No. 03, Order of the Eastern Star, and Queen Esther Shrine, No. 15. O. W. S. of J.  Minnie was present at the June 24, 1912 organizational meeting of the Emmet County Suffrage League and was elected Vice-Chairman.

 

Mrs. Mary Hinkley of 711 Mitchell Street was regent from 1919-1924.

 

Miss Jessie Fairfield was born in Colorado Springs, CO in 1879. She graduated from San Diego High School in 1897. She lived in various places before coming to Petoskey in 1918, where she became the manager of Petoskey Hospital. In 1939 she became secretary and bookkeeper of the Perry Hotel. In addition to the DAR, she was a member of the Presbyterian Church and the Red Cross. She received a 50 year pin from the DAR. 

 

Irene Harsha Young was born in Charlevoix in 1889. She married Earl Young in 1915 and was an artist known for her watercolor paintings. In addition to the DAR, she was a member of the First Congregational Church and the Charlevoix Women’s Club. She died in 1978.

 

Ethel Rowan (1867- 1958)

Ethel Rowan Fasquelle moved to Petoskey with her parents Joseph and Leila in 1875. She was a reporter for the Petoskey Evening News and a freelance writer for many magazines and newspapers. She published her book, When Michigan Was Young, at the age of 83. She was a member of the Pe-to-se-ga chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and served for many years as a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Petoskey.

 

So what did these women do as part of the Daughters of the American Revolution?

 

They created a memorial for Chief Petoskey. On Decoration Day in 1912, a large boulder, weighing nearly six tons, was dedicated by Pe-to-se-ga chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution at the grave of Ignatius Petoskey. The dedication address was made by Rev. Graham, of the Presbyterian church. Following the address the boulder was unveiled by Mrs. Reusch, organizing regent, and Mrs. J.M. Shields, regent-elect of the chapter, and Mrs. O.L. Ramsdell, outgoing regent, presented the boulder on behalf of the chapter to Mayor Sly who accepted it on behalf of the city. The boulder was given to the chapter by Mr. Nathan Jarman and was taken from the Jarman farm in the southwest part of the city. The ceremony included the Chief’s living relatives and was a major community event.

 

They won first place for their float in the 1916 Fourth of July parade.

 

During World War I, the chapter supported French orphans, made socks for crippled soldiers, and participated in Liberty Loan drives.

They wrote an article for the newspaper on proper respect for the flag to be printed before Memorial Day. They donated a flag to Mineral Well Park, distributed 500 copies of "The American’s Creed" throughout Petoskey, and sponsored patriotic films for the library.

 

They met in members’ homes and often gave talks about historic or patriotic topics such as 

Mrs. W. B. Lawton: A charter member who gave several presentations, including a paper on "Heraldry" during a 1910 meeting and a reading titled "When Washington Was Wed" at a 1922 luncheon.

 

Mrs. Hanna: At a 1922 patriotic luncheon, she shared personal reminiscences of her wedding trip to Washington, D.C., where she had the rare honor of attending President Abraham Lincoln's reception just three months before his assassination.

 

Mrs. Reusch frequently gave reports on state conferences, such as her report on the Lansing conference in October 1919.

 

Ethel Rowan Fasquelle: An active DAR member and journalist, she gave numerous reports to the broader Petoskey Federation on behalf of the Historical Committee and shared findings from State Historical Society meetings.

 

Meetings often included specialized lectures or collective participation:

Colonial History: Members heard talks on specific historical subjects, such as a January 1922 presentation on "Colonial Furniture".

Historical Readings: Other members contributed by reading relevant articles, such as Mrs. J. Datson, who read a piece titled "Martha Washington at Valley Forge".

Roll Call Topics: In 1922 and 1923, members participated in "mini-talks" by responding to roll calls with brief segments on topics like "A Woman in American History," "Sayings of Washington that Apply Today," or "Patriotic Quotations"

The Petosega Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) made diverse donations spanning international relief, local civic support, healthcare, and national patriotic initiatives.

International Relief and Welfare

The chapter was deeply involved in supporting war-torn nations and educational institutions. The chapter supported multiple French orphans for years, sending Christmas boxes to them even after formal support was briefly dropped in 1919. They contributed financial aid to Near East Relief, Chinese Relief, and a chocolate fund for boys in military camps and prisons. They donated funds to the Southern Industrial School in Charlotte, South Carolina.

 

The DAR frequently provided resources to enhance Petoskey’s public institutions and heritage. The chapter renewed magazine subscriptions for the local library and sponsored patriotic films on Flag Day to benefit library funds. They dedicated a massive six-ton memorial boulder to the city in honor of Chief Petosega and spent $9.50 to provide a flag for Mineral Well Park. They also contributed to the local Community Room project. The chapter awarded prizes to Odawa women for excellence in traditional crafts, such as quill work, sweet grass, and splint work. They also donated to the American Committee for Indian Work.

 

During and after World War I, the chapter provided tangible goods to medical and relief organizations. The DAR sent Victrola records and donated funds for curtains to the local infirmary. Members supported the Red Cross by making socks for crippled soldiers and knitting baby items for nurses to distribute to local families. The chapter participated in "Bundle Day" for Near East Relief and donated to the Old Clothes Campaign.

 

As part of its national mission, the chapter funded various DAR-led historical projects. They sent books, sheet music, and financial contributions to Memorial Continental Hall in Washington, D.C.. Donations were made toward the Pilgrim Memorial, the Michigan Room at the national headquarters, and the creation of an immigrant manual. The chapter funded prizes for local essay contests on topics such as the "Life and Work of Distinguished Men and Women of our Country".

 

In Bay View, women who belonged to the DAR but were away for the summer joined the States Bay View partnership. This was not an individual chapter, but a way for women to be part of the DAR even when away from home.